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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29919612">Today, Today</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/isawvienna/pseuds/isawvienna'>isawvienna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>And the universe said, "You have played the game well." [DSMP Fics] [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Gen, Karl Jacobs-centric, Time Travel, mumza's a being of immeasurable power pog, veilza</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:53:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29919612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/isawvienna/pseuds/isawvienna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Even thousands of years in the past, Karl finds a familiar face.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Karl Jacobs &amp; Kristin Rosales Watson, Karl Jacobs &amp; Phil Watson, Kristin Rosales Watson &amp; Phil Watson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>And the universe said, "You have played the game well." [DSMP Fics] [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>193</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Crow Cult's DSMP Favorites</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Today, Today</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Karl’s not quite sure where he’s ended up, this time. As he looks around at the dense forest, he’s not sure he recognizes anything. Is this just an unpopulated area, or is it truly deserted?</p><p>He stares up at the trees, the leaves almost coating the forest in darkness. It’s hard to see much of anything, he laments silently as he almost trips over a branch. He kneels, about to pull out his flint and steel and light a stick, when he hears something behind him.</p><p>It’s just a shuffling of leaves, only barely loud enough to be noticeable for someone as on edge as him. He listens closely. It could just be a mob, a zombie or creeper if he should be so unlucky, but all the same it has his hair standing on end.</p><p>He gets to his feet, starts to hurry a bit more. The sooner he can find civilization, the better.</p><p>He’s never been stuck on his own like this before. Usually he’s in a town or village, people around to center the narrative and make sure he’s aware of what time he’s in, but this is uncharted territory.</p><p>He has to stay until the end of the story. But what if there isn’t one? What if it’s just him?</p><p>Another noise, a branch creaking above him. He cringes, expecting the worst, but nothing happens.</p><p>It’s only growing darker. It must be nearing nighttime, and he is <em>really</em> not looking forward to whatever horrors the timeline has in store for him this time.</p><p>And the mobs start to come out. He hurries, ducking a stray arrow or jumping to the side to avoid a spider bite.</p><p>He reaches a small dip the hillside, breathing hard. Maybe he can get some blocks, pile them at the entrance and wait until morning, he’s thinking, when he hears someone yell.</p><p>He’s turning, looking for the voice, when he spots the creeper. He dives to the side, but it’s not soon enough. He still goes flying, hitting the side of the hill and letting out a cry as he falls.</p><p>Oh, fuck.</p><p>His vision’s blurry, but he can faintly see someone fighting off the mobs. Then they’re gathering him in their arms, and he passes out.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>He wakes up slowly, eyes cracking open, to find himself on the hard ground of the forest. The sun is filtering through the trees and he blinks lazily as his eyes adjust.</p><p>Then it all comes back to him and he shoots upright, looking around. The memories are still hazy, but he knows someone helped him out of his predicament, knows he couldn’t have escaped without help. He can faintly remember someone wrapping his injuries.</p><p>Sure enough, as he looks down at his wrist, there’s a makeshift bandage wrapped around it.</p><p>He hears movement behind him.</p><p>Sure enough, it’s the person who helped him. He can remember, faintly, their silhouette. They hand him a mug, and he peers at it before adjusting to get a better look at them.</p><p>They’re wrapped in a gray cloak over robes, large wings almost dragging on the ground behind them. A veil hangs from their hat, effectively obscuring their face.</p><p>Karl pushes to his feet, but the stranger holds a hand out, telling him to remain seated. Their pack is hanging from a tree, and they rustle through it for a few seconds before pulling out more bandages and something wrapped in cloth. They come over, handing him the parcel.</p><p>He unwraps it to find a few slices of bread and he nods his appreciation before getting to work. They tug at his leg and he watches them inspect it, wrap it a bit more securely. It’s clear they know what they’re doing, and by the time he finishes the first piece of bread they’re done. They pull back, returning to their pack and tugging it off the branch. They help him to his feet, and gesture with their head, clearly asking if he wants to follow.</p><p>He hastens, faint pain still flaring in his leg, to walk beside them.</p><p>“So, um, do you speak English?” He asks as they walk. The stranger makes no move to show they understand him, but they do seem to be listening, so he continues.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I don’t speak anything else. Q’s been trying to teach me Spanish, but it’s not going so well.” His usual rule is to avoid mentioning anything related to current times, but with his nerves flaring he can’t help but fall back to usual conversation topics.</p><p>When they don’t respond, he takes a closer look at them. Gloves cover their hands, and a heart charm dangles from their wrist. There are an assortment of swords, knives, and potions hanging from their waist.</p><p>“You know, I know someone with a charm like that. He wears it on his ear, though.” He points at the charm. They look at it, then back at him. No understanding. He sighs.</p><p>“Sorry, I’m just speaking gibberish, aren’t I?” He chuckles, focusing instead on trying not to trip over the forest’s roots.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Their day continues much like that. The silence grates on Karl’s ears, and he misses the constant chatter of the SMP, or of most of his adventures in time, but as time grows on he gets used to it.</p><p><br/>
The stranger is a great help. They’re always by his side to extend a hand, to give him food, to even pass him an ax to defend himself. They fight off the mobs that dare approach the two, and the one time they get lost they fly above the trees and help find their way.</p><p>As night falls, they change direction, beckoning Karl to follow. He wonders whether they’ll stop for the night, but they seem determined to continue.</p><p>He has no idea where they’re going.</p><p>They come across a cave, and they wave for him to follow. He frowns, but comes along all the same. They place torches as they walk, handling Karl a bundle as well, and together they chase the darkness.</p><p>Karl stabs a zombie through, and they shoot him a thumbs up. He grins. They throw him a crossbow as they continue to venture deeper, and he makes good use of it.</p><p>And that’s where they find it. Karl can’t even bear to look at his coordinates, but he knows they’re deep. The stranger’s wings shiver, and he knows it must be hard for an avian hybrid to be so far from the sky, but to their credit they don’t show it.</p><p>It’s a nondescript door, but something about it makes Karl shudder. The stranger looks at him, assesses him before they open it, but Karl nods.</p><p>It looks like a nether portal, and they step through it one after another. His vision fades.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>Karl Jacobs.</em>
</p><p>He opens his eyes. Looking around, he’s surrounded on all sides by void. It looks almost like the nether roof, and as he peers around he sees the stranger on one side. In front of them both, a woman. She’s the one who speaks.</p><p><em>Welcome.</em> The voice echoes in his head, but all the same it isn’t disconcerting or upsetting. He can’t help but smile.</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>
  <em>I didn’t expect you here. It’s not your time.</em>
</p><p>He chuckles.</p><p>“Yeah. Afraid I can’t help it.”</p><p>She smiles. <em>You’re always welcome, Karl Jacobs. Make no mistake.</em></p><p>She turns her attention to the other stranger, smiles warmly.</p><p>They say a few words in a language he doesn’t understand, but his voice is unmistakably familiar. Karl startles, gapes as they reach up, remove their hat.</p><p>He looks different but oh so similar. The same face, albeit with a few less scars and a few less years. The same hair. The same smile.</p><p>Philza Minecraft.</p><p>They exchange a few words, and as Phil makes to leave, replaces his hat, Karl looks to the Lady.</p><p>“How long ago is this?”</p><p>She chuckles, fixes him in the eye.</p><p>
  <em>Are you sure you want to know?</em>
</p><p>Karl watches Phil’s back, watches his wings spread. Watches him take off.</p><p>They have a few things to talk about, when he returns.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Please check out my other fics!</p><p>Please leave some comments, and I'm always, always open to constructive criticism :).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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